Page 51 of The Soulbond and Her Beloved

Madam Livia winced.

"I thought… maybe if I ignored it, it would go away, I don’t know what I thought." Emeriel let out a mirthless laugh, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "But my entire body is on fire."

A sudden, piercing scream shattered the room.

Aekeira bolted upright, her mouth open in a wail so raw, so agonizing, it made Emeriel’s stomach knot painfully.

"Keira!" Shooting to her feet, Emeriel rushed to her side. Aekeira doubled over, gripping her stomach, screaming again. Louder, more desperate.

"I need my male! I need my—" She rolled to the edge of the bed, away from Emeriel’s outstretched hand, screaming. "Vladya! Where are you!?"

Emeriel’s heartshattered.

"Wait, Aekeira...!" She was reaching for Aekeira again, swiping angrily at the hot tears streaking her cheeks.

But Aekeira recoiled violently. "Do not touch me! Do not—" a strangled cry tore from her lips as shaky hands reached for her own breasts. Pinching her hard nipples. Body arching.

"Em, it hurts really, really bad." She sobbed openly. "It h-hurts so much I don't think I can bear this…!"

Emeriel grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her hard. "Of course you can! You are strong! You can overcome—”

The words died in Emeriel’s throat as fire rose deep in her core, like scorching lava, burning andburning.

Snatching her hands away, Emeriel threw her head back as a loud wail of agony ripped from her throat.

"Em, are you all right!?" Aekeira’s voice was faint, distant, as though coming from another world.

"Hers is here too!" Madam Livia’s muffled voice followed. "Amie, come, help me move her!"

All Emeriel could hear clearly was thecrackling of flames. Deep inside her belly, everything burned.

Her organs were flaming. Her womb scorching. Her womanhoodsearedwith unbearableneed.

Emeriel’s nipples throbbed, painfully sensitive. Even the brush of fabric there sent sharp jolts of pain through her.

Tearing at her clothes, Emeriel was beyond desperate. Mindless. Heedless.

The air was too thick.

Toohot.

Suffocating her.

“Someone make it stop!" she let out another piercing scream. "MAKE IT S-S-STOP!”

Two voices rose in the air in unison.

Twin wails of absolute suffering from the very depths of their souls.

Echoing off the walls, piercing the hearts of many who heard it.

"MAKE IT STOP!!!"

Chapter twelve

EMERIEL AND HER KEIRA

Half-shifted,DaemonikaiandVladyatore through the woods, breathing loud, breathing deep. The night air howled past them, a blur of dark trees and shifting shadows.

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